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GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 12 • 27 It's had its bumps, though. While it's been pretty solid in leading the running game much of the season, the group has struggled to open consistent holes the last couple of weeks when defenses have loaded up the box. Hazell said against Northwestern, the inte- rior linemen needed to finish more blocks at the end of run plays. Still, Purdue's 1,658 rushing yards are double of what it had last season. The pass protection has been a larger issue, especially on the edg- es, but all of the linemen will return for at least one more season with center Robert Kugler and Hedelin being the only juniors among the starting group. "That's a group that's, if they started at a 25 percent rating, they're probably close to a 75 per- cent rating," Hazell said. "We have some ways to go still, but they made some huge advance- ments in that room." NO HELP Hazell had been hopeful be- fore Purdue's sec- ond bye week that sophomore receiver B.J. Knauf would be able to take the field again this season af- ter surgery to repair a collarbone injury. But that won't happen. Knauf will miss the Bucket game, his fifth straight since getting hurt against Michigan State on Oct. 11. Knauf also missed four games last season because of a suspension and then an ankle injury. He's been a potential weapon that hasn't been able to be utilized because of his injury issues. He'll join Danny Anthrop on the shelf again. Anthrop will have sur - gery to repair the ligament damage in his right knee on Dec. 2 in New York, Hazell said this week. Purdue doctor K. Donald Shelbourne will not perform the surgery. IMPROVEMENT BY ONE MEASURE It is interesting to see how the Boilermakers have fared in relation to the projected point spread over the course of the season. For example, last week Purdue was a two-point underdog against Northwestern and lost by 24, so they were a minus-22 in last week's measure. But earlier in the year, the Boilermakers were an 10-point un- derdog to Illinois and won by 11 points so they were a plus-21 in that game. Add it all up and here are the results for Purdue football dating back to 2000 (actual win-loss record in parenthesis): 2014 0 (3-8) 2013 -95.5 (1-11) 2012 -66.5 (6-7) 2011 -30 (7-6) 2010 -45.5 (4-8) 2009 -11 (5-7) 2008 +12 (4-8) 2007 -23.5 (8-5) 2006 -26 (8-6) 2005 -38.5 (5-6) 2004 +47 (7-5) 2003 +12 (9-4) 2002 +2 (7-6) 2001 -49 (6-6) 2000 -36 (8-4) j Stephen J. Carrera The 2004 team, which featured Kyle Orton and Taylor Stubblefield, was the most successful in term of proving the oddsmakers wrong in recent memory of Boilermaker football. C E L E B R A T E O U R S E N I O R S ! 94 th Purdue Football Senior Appreciation Banquet Sponsored by the Lafayette Kiwanis Club Sunday, December 7, 2014, 12:45 p.m. Purdue Memorial Union Ballrooms Honoring the 2014 Boilermaker Football Team Media Partners Tickets available through Purdue Athletic Ticket Office (765-494-3194, Toll-Free 800-497-7678) or email sporttix@purdue. edu